50 years ago
Jan. 30, 1974
— PHONE IMPROVEMENTS UNDERWAY IN AREA
Continental Telephone Company this week announced upgrading of extended area services through the Cassville exchange to all area communities served. Gary Peters, local manager, said installers arrived Monday to make equipment changes involved in the project. New circuits are being added in a two-phase program that will improve calling between towns by adding circuits and eliminating one-way trunk lines. The program calls for new circuits serving Shell Knob, Mano, Jenkins, Golden and Eagle Rock. The second phase will be improvements in the Washburn and Exeter ex-changes. Peters said the work would require about 30 days for completion. Growth of the area and continued heavy use of company facilities were credited for the updating and improvement of equipment in the area. Continental serves virtually the entire area of South Barry County.
— BIDS FOR SHELL KNOB BANK
Bids will be received on February 18 for construction of the Community Bank of Shell Knob, according to Howard Mellrath, president. Designers of the proposed building, Miller-Newell and Associates, have plans and specifications. George Ulmer of Cassville is local representative of the firm. Included in the building facilities will be a drive-up window, vault, offices, etc., to make a complete banking facility.
— PUSH AMBULANCE DISTRICT FOR AREA SERVICES
Possible formation of an ambulance district in this area to provide continued emergency services to residents and visitors is under consideration by the Barry County Court and officials of the South Barry County Emergency Rescue Corporation. Representatives of the not-for-profit corporation that continued services here after private firms dropped out in October, met with the court Monday. Cherry Warren, president, told Presiding Judge Roscoe Eden, Southern Judge Walter Cooper and Northern Judge Emil Schad, that additional revenue would have to be forthcoming to insure continued good operation of the service. Warren also has scheduled a meeting this (Wednesday) afternoon with James May, a regional official involved with funding up-dated ambulance services. Warren told the county court the corporation was still $800 in debt in acquiring ambulances that have been operated by a private contractor, LeRoy Rouse, since October. He said the corporation was willing to circulate petitions to call an initiative issue to the people if necessary. Judge Eden said the problem has been under consideration by the court that has discussed a countywide levy to provide emergency services to the public. Rouse recently told SBCERC he has made 111 calls since taking over the service four months ago. He has up-dated equipment with the purchase of a new ambulance unit. Another aspect of services in this area has been a delay on two units purchased by the city of Cassville because of an entanglement in gaining approval from the State Division of Health. This division of government controls the grants involved and has been unwilling to make final approval because of an expressed opposition from the western part of the county. Warren said this week he was hopeful the meeting with May would resolve final questions and pave the way for the district formation. He has been assured by Rouse that the service will continue on an uninterrupted basis until that time.
40 years ago
Feb. 1, 1984
— PARK RESTAURANT CONCESSION TO MARRS
Operation of the Roaring River State Park restaurant at the March 1 opening will again be under the direction of Carolyn Marrs of Cassville. Mrs. Marrs was successful bidder in a second-timearound by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The state agency called for a second bid after the initial effort resulted in proposals from Mrs. Marrs and Gaylen Hackney of Springfield, failed to produce a contract. Hackney did not submit a second proposal. Mrs. Marrs has operated the park concession for the past five years. Her new contract with the state will cover a four-year period, with an option for renewal covering an additional four years. Facilities at the restaurant and accommodations, under contract to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Nickols, will open February 29. Park operations are March 1 through October 31.
— WINTER BLOW ‘SURFACES’ ON HIGHWAYS OF AREA
“Terrible” is the term used by Jay Buxton, area maintenance supervisor for the Missouri Highway Department when referring to a breakup of heavily traveled roads as a result of thawing conditions. “There is more water coming out of highways this week that I’ve ever seen before,” he said. Cause of the problem is deep freezes in the ground, including roadways, when the area experience below zero temperature for several days after Christmas. Buxton, whose responsibility it is to maintain roads in two-third of Barry County, one-third of McDonald County and a portion of Newton County, said highway crews would take two approaches to the problem. First they will try to get on the most severely damaged as quick as possible. “This method is only a makeshift proposition to keep roads open,” he said. Second, and preferred repair method is “to lift and fill with limestone and get the soft material out of pot-holes. This is our best method, but also takes longer,” Buxton noted. Of the 349 miles in Bux-ton’s area, about 75 miles are considered critical, and they are along the most heavily used of the routes. Included in this immediate area are Highways 37, 248, and 76. Highway department crews have signed those areas where breakup is most severe and will urge people to use extreme caution while traveling in these areas. “If people will bare with us in this matter and give us the time, we will get the break-up replaced as quickly as possible.” Buxton set a Thursday or Friday time schedule for doing extensive repair work on Highway 37 from Cassville to the Arkansas line. “Naturally, this route, one of the most heavy traffic carriers in this section of the state, is suffering more than others,” the maintenance supervisor said. Traffic carried by respective roads dictates the damage they suffer according to the highway official. He speculates county roads will also suffer considerable damage, since they were exposed to the same “deep freeze” weather as other routes. The break-up of roads in the area started Saturday and worsened Sunday. That’s when good weather continued and resulted in more traffic from the public. Buxton noted it hadn’t been many days since highway crews were out day and night keeping routes open from snow and ice coatings. This moisture, which was driven deeper into the ground and highway cracks by subzero weather, is now surfacing and softening road beds and surfaces.
30 years ago
Jan. 19, 1994
— NEW CONCRETE SHOP
Barry County Ready-Mix Concrete is making provisions for a new shop building, according to Corky Stehlik. The structure, 60×75, is being erected on the Rodeo Grounds Road between Highway 37 and City Route 37. Stehlik said the structure is the old Blalack Motors body shop which was removed from the McGrath property. He said moving the shop facilities of the business would make room at West 13th and Presley for additional expansion of the business in the future.
— BURGLARY AT ROARING RIVER
Roaring River State Park maintenance shop has been burglarized twice in the past week, according to superintendent Pete Landstad. He said the first instance resulted in a number of hand tools being taken. The second trip burglars needed transportation for some reason and stole a 1987 van from the building. The vehicle had Missouri DNR and Park Department logos on the side. Park ranger Jim Hopkins and the Barry County sheriff’s department are investigating the incident.
— CASSVILLE R-4 AMONG DISTRICTS SEEKING INCREASE
Cassville R-IV School District will be asking voters to approve a state-mandated operating levy of $2.75 on February 8. Approval of the issue will keep Cassville from losing over $900,000 in sales tax revenue over the next three years, school officials state. Cassville school district and all districts in Missouri have been ordered by the state in Senate Bill 380 to increase their operating levy to $2.75 by the 199495 school year. Taxpayers will pay the $2.75 regardless of the outcome of the Those districts who do not gain approval of the $2.75 minimum operating levy will be subject to a threeyear monetary penalty through the withholding of a portion of Proposition C sales tax revenue. Cassville superintendent Dan Bailey is conservatively estimating Cassville’s potential revenue loss at $921,958. In addition, Cassville would be ineligible to take advantage of increased state funding. “The new legislation is complex but the bottom line is simple,” Bailey said. “If voters approve the state-ordered operating levy, our tax dollars will stay here in Barry County. If the issue is rejected, Cassville’s share of sales tax revenue will be used by other school districts. The outcome of the election will not alter the levy but would save the school district from a huge revenue loss that could jeopardize the future of this district.” Cassville’s current operating levy is $2. The average operating levy in Missouri is $2.81. February 8’s vote will also affect Cassville school district’s accreditation. If voters approve the operating levy, Cassville school will retain its AAA rating. If the operating levy is rejected, Cassville will lose its accreditation and be placed under the control of the State Board of Education. Under Senate Bill 380, if the district failed to pass the minimum operating levy, the state would have the power to close the district and assign students to another accredited district. Cassville is not headed to the polls alone. At least 40 other districts in southwest Missouri will vote on the $2.75 operating levy on February 8. Exeter, Purdy, and Shell Knob have already passed the new mandated operating levy. In this area, Southwest of Washburn and Monett will join R-4 in making the decision. Bailey said that approval of the $2.75 operating levy is vitally important in the district’s ongoing effort to respond to an ever increasing enrollment. Current enrollment stands at 1764, an increase of about 100 students over last year. Enrollment is projected to reach 1800 by the fall of 1994.
